The Missing Piece
by Bluebird8311
Summary: Will's thoughts as he meets Vaughn. 2x03. Written by Jude back in 2002.


**_The Missing Piece_**

Bluebird8311 doesn't own this story.

 **Author:**

Jude

 **Rating:**

PG

 **Summary:**

Will's thoughts as he meets Vaughn

 **Spoilers:**

Cipher, The Enemy Walks In

 **Disclaimer:**

Not mine, I'll admit they are JJ's, Bad Robot's, & Touchtone's. I'm just playing with them.

 **Author's Note:**

Thanks to Penny for the help on this. :::hugs::: I'm not a Will fan and I had a hard time NOT making Will out to be a total jerk. But, damn, did I want to! *g*

 **Written:**

16th October 2002

 **The Missing Piece**

Sydney Bristow is like a jigsaw puzzle. A complex amazing person made up of many different parts. I've always considered myself lucky to be one of those pieces. I've even foolishly thought many times that somehow I could be the piece of that puzzle that would somehow complete her.

But two days ago, that delusion changed forever.

It all started when Sydney informed me that the CIA wanted to meet with me again. When she told me that I'd be meeting with her handler, I should have known there was more to Vaughn when she hesitated before telling me he was, "smart, professional, won't waste your time." Little did I know at the time, that any hope I ever had for a relationship with Sydney Bristow, ended the day I met her handler.

 _Two days earlier_

I watched as Sydney grabbed her bags and walked out the door. Watching her leave on a "trip" now is a whole different ballgame. Now that I know the truth about what she really does for a living. Especially since I've met the people she deals with on a regular basis. But I don't want to go there. I shudder even thinking about it.

Instead my thoughts go to the meeting I'm supposed to have with the CIA. I open up the envelope that Sydney had given me earlier and quickly read through the SOP. Pretty simple and straight forward. Go to a specified location tomorrow, yada yada yada. I can handle this.

I am actually looking forward to meeting with Sydney's "handler."

Like anyone would be able to "handle" Sydney Bristow.

I am very curious to see what "Vaughn" is like. He obviously can't be that bad, I mean he did risk his life to help Sydney get me out of Taipei, right?

I have to admit it surprised me when she refused to leave without him. I'll never forget the expletives that came out of Jack Bristow's mouth when she refused to come back to the plane. And when she did return to the plane, the pain in her face will haunt me the rest of my life. I thought at the time that the pain was caused from the bullet wound in her shoulder. I would soon find out that it was really caused by something else entirely.

 _Next Day_

I drive to the location I'm instructed to. The SOP says I will be contacted when it is determined to be safe. I spend fifteen minutes inside the location as instructed and then return to my vehicle where I find a parking ticket envelope on my windshield with further instructions.

I walk to the parking garage and find the elevators. I walk into the elevator and cringe. Great, I'm already nervous enough and I have to share an elevator with 'Mr. GQ'. All of a sudden the elevator stops and Mr. GQ turns around.

"Will, I'm Michael Vaughn," I hear him say as he reaches out to shake my hand.

"Hey." Oh that's good Will, I think to myself. What am I two? You do have a college education. But the fact that Michael Vaughn is standing before me has made me more tongue tied than when I asked Molly Hagen out in 7th grade.

"Sorry about the cloak and dagger routine, but SD-6 may monitor you from time to time, we had to make sure you weren't followed," he says like it's something he says every day.

"Sure I get it." What I don't get, is the person standing in front of me is not at all what I expected. "So you're Vaughn?" I say still in shock, continuing to size up this man before me. And I'm suddenly not liking what I see.

"You sound surprised?" he replies curiously.

"No, I just thought you'd be, uh, ….older." And ok I'll admit, I figured he'd be middle aged and bald. Not like he'd just left the pages of GQ. Yeah I know I'm a guy, but this is one good looking man.

"Ah," he says nodding, "Listen we want to bring you in for a hypnotherapy session. Uh, from your statement we think you might be able to recall details from your captivity that could help us."

Well, Sydney was right about one thing, he is professional and he gets right to the point although I'm getting the impression it's his/i time he doesn't want to waste, not mine.

"When?" I ask taking a deep breath, trying not to show my hesitation. I also am dejected when I don't notice a wedding ring on his finger.

"There's a car waiting for us upstairs." he says quickly.

"Now?" I say caught off guard as Vaughn nods. "Hey, now I can't, I'm helping my friend get her restaurant ready." I say hoping not to sound like I'm trying to get out of it. It's not a lie. I am supposed to go to Francie's restaurant today.

Vaughn nods and inquires, "Francie?" I start to wonder if he knows everything about our life.

"Right," I answer and suddenly it hits me how much time Sydney must spend with this man; alone with this man. And that bothers me a lot more than I want to admit.

"So tomorrow then?" he asks.

"Sure OK." It's not like I have a choice.

"OK, you'll get a call on your cell phone from a telemarketer asking if you're interested in consolidating your debt that will be your signal to meet back here; we'll have a car take you to our office."

And suddenly the light bulb goes off in my head. All those Joey's Pizza calls.

Joey's Pizza = Michael Vaughn. Damn.

"So every time that Sydney ran out the door after she got a wrong number, she was going to meet you?" I ask already knowing the answer.

"It's standard protocol in case the lines tapped, it's a low risk way to set up a meet," he says sounding a little surprised I put two and two together.

But now the wheels in my head are burning at a rate I didn't think possible.

"Did you ever give her a-a picture frame? It was like and antique, she said that it was from somebody at work, and it was probably just another way to contact her…right?" At least I hoped that's what it was.

Of course those hopes are quickly blown out of the water. I should have known better, that picture frame is always on her nightstand and I think she even takes it on trips with her.

"Actually no, that was just a gift." he replies, a little too smugly for my taste.

And then he turns around and restarts the elevator.

"It's nice to meet you Will." he says smiling and then he's gone.

"You too." I add politely as I'm left standing there with the door shutting.

I start thinking back on everything that has happened the last few weeks….

How devastated she was on the cargo plane leaving "Vaughn" behind.  
How she moped around the house looking like she'd lost her best friend.  
How happy she was when she came back from France.  
How happy she always seems to get those Joey's Pizza calls.

The pieces are starting to fall in place. The problem is that I think I have the answer I really didn't want to have. The fact is that even though I'm a piece of the puzzle that is Sydney Bristow, I'm not the piece that will make her whole.

I have a feeling, that I just met that piece that does.


End file.
